Meet Me In The Morning When You Wake
by Inoue.YH
Summary: Kurosaki Ichigo goes to a high school where most people don't judge others for having different views on life, or any other aspect whatsoever. He has a life full of friends, family, a personal bully, fights, dreams, fear, love, and lies. It is a story that connects many lives, helps, and crumbles others. Surprises that are sometimes hard to take in, often bring great happiness.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The way he kept thrusting again and again made my whole body burn with desire. His muscles flexed as his pace became more intense and deliciously fast. This man, that was my nemesis at school, was fucking me like no one had before, and for once I appreciated his dirty mouth and unbelievable strength.

"You like that, Strawberry? You moan so deliciously for me."

I was drunk. That explains my behavior that night; the lust I felt for my personal bully as he had his way with me, and the way I moaned and begged for more. He was a sex god after all, and I couldn't deny it, not now and certainly not then. But what happened afterwards was the worst thing; when I woke the next morning, completely ignorant of what had happened the night before, a pair of strong arms were wrapped around my waist, someone was breathing on my neck, my hips hurt like hell, and I felt cum dripping my ass and thighs. The worst part was that: 1) Grimmjow (my nemesis) was responsible for my aches. 2) People from the party had come up, at some point, and taken a photo of us sleeping together, me peacefully lying in his arms. And everyone—and when I mean everyone, I refer to everyone-in-the-planet—knows our hate relationship, so that means I'm going to get teased for the rest of my high school years. High school sucks, I know.

* * *

><p>As I thought, three days later in school everyone reminded me of what happened with Grimmjow. People are mostly open-minded so being gay wasn't a rarity or a problem. Anyway, getting fucked by the person you hate the most is not a happy memory. And speaking of the devil…<p>

"Strawberry! Hey, Berry, don't ignore me," his hand grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. "What da ya think 'bout going out with me, princess?"

"Ha-ha, don't make me laugh, you idiot. Why would I go out with the person who makes my life miserable; the one who snaps perverted shots while I shower in the locker room, or the one that hides my stuff when I need them most, or the one that trips me when I'm walking with my food tray to the cafeteria? Hm, let me think… No!"

I glared at him, and his cocky smirk appeared.

"Aw, Berry, and here I thought I had made you fall for me. Come on, that's all in the past… I promise I won't do it again."

"You want to leave it all in the past? Is this a dream?" I said with sarcasm because I knew too well that would never happen. He enjoyed making fun of me.

"Okay, no, but can we at least be sex buddies?" Grimmjow made a boyish and silly grin that took me off guard, and made me laugh aloud.

"In your dreams, Jaegerjaquez…!" I said and walked away, making sure my hips swayed.

* * *

><p>That afternoon, the teachers gave us a lot of assignments and projects as homework, and I had to take two massive textbooks to complete them all. The problem? My arms and back couldn't stand all that weight all the way to my house. <em>I need a flying carpet right now<em>, I thought.

And flying I went. A group of four boys had tripped me over with a foot, and my body went tumbling down. My head didn't hit the floor, but it still hurt. I realized I couldn't stand because one of the boys had his foot pressed against my neck.

"What the fuck are you doing, you ass—?"

"Shut the fuck up, fag!" One of the other three boys kicked my sides and I winced. "You sleep around with that Jaegerjaquez brat, don't you? Has he fallen for you? 'Cause we think he has and we'll use you to get to him. Let's see what he does when he sees you again."

With that said, they started beating me up. At some point, I lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>I heard people whispering faintly above me, then my eyes started to adjust and I made out shadows. When my vision focused, I realized I was still in school but I was taken care of in the nursery. The people surrounding me were the school doctor, my father, my two best friends, Ishida and Chad, and finally Grimmjow. I didn't want to speak at all, but I was really confused and I had to ask.<p>

"Grimmjow, why are you here?" He was gazing out the window but when I spoke he turned and smiled faintly.

"Ne, shouldn't ya be concerned 'bout your health?" He chuckled but I could tell he wasn't in the mood to joke. Something was bothering him. "Anyway, I got out of detention late and when I was about to leave the school, I heard a kid looking for your friends because something had happened to you, and so… I, well… I was worried." He moved so I wouldn't see his blushing face but his ears gave him away.

I thought he looked cute, and a smile started forming on my face but that made me wince. My face hurt, and I saw dark bruises on my arms too. Slowly I lifted my shirt and I saw more gruesome injuries on my body. I gasped, and tears welled in my eyes.

"Ichigo, the school's investigating who attacked you so they can be punished. Son, do you remember what happened?" My dad was seriously concerned, which was rare seeing him so serious since his personality's always silly and annoying.

"The only thing I remember is walking down the hallway and being attacked by four figures, but I can't remember if they were boys or girls. My head's throbbing so painfully."

The doctor gave me some pills for the pain, and then all of the people present exchanged concerned looks, except Grimmjow that was still looking out the window. He looked thoughtful and I wanted to ask him what was wrong but with everyone else in the room, I decided not to.

"Dad, I want to go home. Can Ishida and Chad stay over?" My friends nodded without hesitation, but my dad looked reluctant.

"Ichigo, you need to rest, and your friends are probably expected in their homes."

"No, we're not, Ishiin! We already called and they gave us permission." Ishida, Chad and I have been friends since childhood and they called my dad by his first name. Also, Chad had been adopted by Ishida's parents when he was little, so they were raised like brothers.

"Oh alright, but be gentle with him and don't make too much noise." We all cheered, and for a moment we forgot Grimmjow was still there, until he spoke.

"Oh, um, I should get going… I hope you get better, Ichigo." He spoke to me but his eyes focused on the floor. Now this was a first time for me. I had never seen this guy act so sad and… _caring_.

"Thanks, then you should get going before your parents wonder where you are."

"Yeah, I guess." He smiled faintly but before he left the room, I heard him whisper. "As if they cared…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

That night I enjoyed myself—excluding the fact that I was a total mess covered in bruises—since my friends stayed in my house, and they cheered me up with movie marathons and jokes all night. But from time to time I kept thinking about what Grimmjow had said before exiting the room, and about my four attackers. The school staff said I couldn't go to school for a while until they figured out stuff, which didn't bother me at all.

"Hey, Ichigo, what's up with you and Jaegerjaquez? I see something going on there, don't you think so too, Chad?" Chad nodded, since he wasn't the talking type. I blushed.

"Well, you know what happened a few days ago at the party right?" I asked them though I was sure they knew about it.

"Of course we know! We saw pictures of you and him in the same bed… scandalous!" Ishida laughed. He was openly gay, and he often said things about how Grimmjow had a thing for me because how he treated me. I always thought it was because he hated me, but Ishida said that teasing's a way to get acknowledge by a person that they feel attracted to.

"Oh please, I darted out of there before he woke up. It was so embarrassing… and to think he remembers everything."

"Do you like him?" I stared astonished at Chad, who had caught me off guard.

"Of course not… have you guys paid any attention to everything he's done to me? Well, the sex was great but it was just that, no feelings attached."

"Really, was it that great?" Ishida asked surprised. I nodded. "Was he small, normal or big?"

"Huge…" And that made me laugh so hard, tears spilled from my eyes (maybe at remembering that monstrosity pounding inside me and the pain I felt after). At that comment, Ishida's mouth fell open.

"Is that bigger than big?" And that did it. I was too embarrassed to speak about it anymore, so I grabbed a pillow and threw it at Chad's face.

That started a pillow fight, and Grimmjow wasn't mentioned again that night.

* * *

><p>The first two weeks that I stayed in my house were hell. The bruises were still hurting even though they didn't look as bad as the first day, and my friends didn't visit me as much as I'd hoped because they had a lot of work to do in school. I called Ishida twice a week to keep up with the classes but it wasn't the same. My dad was treating an old man in the patient's house and my two sisters were in school, so I was alone for the day. It was like that, most of the time.<p>

It was 6:27 in the afternoon when the doorbell rang. I was wearing some really shorts-shorts that I only wear when I'm in the commodity of my room but since I was feeling pained, I didn't bother to change. After all, I thought it was my family getting back late. When I reached the door, Grimmjow was standing there, looking gloomy.

"Grimmjow, I didn't expect to see you!"

"Yeah, I can tell. Those shorts are leaving nothing to my imagination."

"What do you want?"

I asked, looking uncomfortable as I tried to hide as much of my thighs as I could. Grimmjow gave me a pleased smirk but not his usual one, not a narcissistic and proud one.

"I came to see how you were. Where's your dad?"

"He's upstairs."

"Liar. I saw him down at the hospital. I'm going to make myself at home now. Thank you, darls."

Grimmjow stepped inside without my usual protests. My reflects were slow due to the bruises so I did everything carefully, always touching the walls for support to avoid getting hurt and more troublesome stuff. When I closed the door and turned slowly, I winced and Grimmjow rushed to grab me by my hand.

"Careful! Come here, cupcake."

He guided me to the sofa before disappearing to the kitchen to fetch some ice. He came back with pillows and a bucket of ice.

"You still haven't answered me yet. What are you doing here?"

"Well I came to give you copies of the notes I took in class and to… ask you something."

When he made sure I was comfortable in the sofa, he sat next to me gently. His gloomy expression came back and I could see something was bothering him.

"Do you remember anything at all of that day?"

"I told you all a thousand times that I don't remember who attacked me!"

"Okay, I get it, jeez. But do you remember something they said, maybe?"

I did remember something, and I was sure he was not going to like it. I took a deep breath and told him.

"They, whoever they were, mentioned you but I don't recall the rest of it."

Grimmjow stood up abruptly and cursed. He punched the wall and snapped.

"I knew it! Those bastards! I'm going to kill them!"

He kept pacing back and forth, cursing and looking mad with rage. I stood carefully and grabbed his shirt from behind to stop him. He glared back at me but when he saw me, his eyes soften. He calmed down and helped me get down into the sofa again.

"What is it, Grimmjow? Do you know who did it?"

"I know why they did it. They're trying to get to me."

"What's that got to do w—"

Grimmjow chuckled darkly and shook his head. He stood up again and went to get his notes from his bag.

"Nothing, princess, leave that to me. Here are your copies; we have exam on Thursday, not that you'll show up, but just to let you know. It's getting late, so I'll head back."

Grimmjow kept talking fast as he was preparing to leave, but I could tell from his actions that something seemed strange. He knew something about that day.

"Wait, Grimm—"

"Talk to you later, flower."

He picked up his bag and left, without glancing back. I sat there for a few minutes wondering what had just happened, when the phone rang. My family was stuck in traffic and probably would be late for dinner. I heated lasagna in the microwave and watched some TV until they came home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

In the next few days, I received a call from the principal of the school telling me that it was safe for me to go back. He told me they'd keep a special eye for me and that I had nothing to worry about. I decided to call Ishida to help me get back on track with work and stuff.

"Hey, hun, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, and apparently I'm going back to school tomorrow morning."

"Really? That's great! Oh, and between you and me, it's even better that you're coming back so you can restrain that brute Jaegerjaquez…"

Suddenly, I felt fear and anger running through my veins.

"What did he do?"

"He's a maniac! He's been fighting twice more than usual!"

"Why is he doing it?"

"Well, I'm not so sure. He hasn't been talking much—I know, a miracle, right? He's finally shut that yapping hole."

"Ishida, I'll call you back later, okay?"

"Sure, Ichigo, but r—"

I hung up before he could finish and quickly searched in my contacts for Grimmjow's phone number. I dialed and waited impatiently for him to answer his phone. I cursed when after the third ring he still hadn't picked up, until finally he did.

"Hey, Kuro—"

"What the fuck's wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

He remained silent for a couple of seconds and then sighed.

"If this is about the fights then—"

"Then, what, Grimmjow?!"

"Why are you so angry? Do you even know—"

"Yes, I do know, Grimmjow. I perfectly know why you're doing this, and let me tell you that I don't need you to do anything for me!"

"Those guys—"

"Those guys can go straight to hell but don't you dare put your fucking life at risk for me. This is my problem, Grimmjow, not yours. Mine!"

My eyes were almost bulging from the rage I felt. Suddenly, Grimmjow started laughing on the other side of the line.

"They hurt you so they could get back at me, Kurosaki. And oh, how they got me! They dug their own graves when they thought up that little sick plan of them."

I let out a sob that silenced him.

"Kurosaki, they won't touch you again. I promise."

And with that he hung up, leaving me to cry silently in the solitude of my room, until well past midnight.

* * *

><p>While I dressed myself for school, I saw my reflection in the mirror and noticed dark circles under my eyes and streaks of dried tears. I went into the bathroom and washed my face, but the feeling of sadness didn't disappear. I still couldn't understand why that had happened, why they wanted to hurt Grimmjow, or why I was made a target to get to him. I felt disconnected from everything but, above all, I felt fear for him. I tried pushing it aside, but the thought of watching him get hurt was mortifying.<p>

Ishida and Chad gave me a ride to school but we didn't talk much. I guess they sensed I was feeling down about something I wasn't going to share with them. When we got there, they each patted me on the shoulder and walked to their classrooms—we take the same classes but it's a different schedule. The classroom was full, many of the students were happy to see me, but not everyone. I noticed two guys in the back with bandages and I quickly knew why. They glared at me as I took my seat, and I felt them staring throughout the whole class.

When the bell rang, I collected my things as quickly as I could and walked out. I walked rapidly to my locker but, at one point, I felt paces behind me. I looked back and saw the two guys from earlier. I took a deep breath as they advanced towards me. Before they could reach me, they stopped. Grimmjow was standing behind me, staring menacingly at them.

"Just try."

It was the only thing he said before the guys grunted and walked away. He watched them coldly until they disappeared and hissed.

"Fuck."

I stared up at his tensed face, and unconsciously caressed his cheek slowly with my fingertips. His eyes met mine, and I blushed.

"Um, sorry, I'm not much myself these days."

"No, Kurosaki, I haven't been myself either."

He took my hands, which had been hiding in my pockets after the last incident, and kissed them. I tried to pull away but he entwined our fingers together. At this, I blushed and looked around to see if we were making a spectacle, but most people were in their own little worlds.

"Berry, look at me."

Grimmjow whispered in my ear and a shudder ran down my back.

"Grimmjow, I don't think t—"

"I'm in love with you."

He blurted out the words and stared at me square in the eyes. I let out a little shocked gasp that made him smile, and then I tried to form a decent sentence to which I failed miserably.

"Grimm… I'm not… You can't… You're… a bully!"

I semi-shouted a stupid excuse that even I recognized and that made him laugh.

"Of course, I'll tease you as many times as I can just to have an excuse to be with you or to touch you. Really, my head turns to a pile of puddle whenever you're concerned. I can't take my mind off you… and there's not a day that passes that I don't think about our night together."

He whispered, and my traitor heart started palpitating a thousand miles an hour.

"Grimmjow…"

"I know you don't want me, Berry, but I can't help it. Just as I won't help feeling jealous if someday you fall in love with another guy."

We looked into each other's eyes and then he leaned forward. I closed my eyes because his closeness and smell were intoxicating. Grimmjow kissed my lips gently and then deepened the kiss slowly. We kissed for a couple of seconds and when his tongue caressed my lower lip, my hand went straight to his hair to stroke his blue locks. He made a deep purring sound in his throat and pulled me closer to him until our hips were against each other's.

"Flower?"

"Hmm?"

"I need you right now."

"I think you're forgetting where we are."

"I don't care, Berry. All I'm thinking right now is how sweet your lips are, and how soft your skin was that special night. Gods, I want to feel that again."

His eyes were closed, but that didn't stop a blush emerging in my face. His big hands were holding me by the hips, while our foreheads touched. I was seriously confused about everything in that moment. The man I thought only wanted to make my life miserable had just confessed his love for me. So, that night, although extraordinary, it hadn't exactly meant anything to me, but it had been so special to him? I was shocked, to say the least. I came back to my senses and straightened up.

"Look, Grimm," I really had no idea how I was going to tell him off or how he would react, but I had to do it, "I have never thought about you in that way. All my life, I've thought you only enjoyed teasing me, so I never thought of you… in a good way. I'm sorry, Grimmjow. You must hate me right now, but I'm not ready for this."

When I looked at his face, he was staring at the floor. His expression was hard, and his eyebrow piercing suddenly radiated an annoyed aura. Then he scoffed.

"So, that night, you would have slept with any other guy who flirted with you?"

"Grimmjow, I was drunk. We both were. If I had been sober…"

"What, then you would have never slept with me? Do you regret it that much?"

He was hurt. No, _I_ was hurting him, but the truth was that it really was too much to take in. I felt horrible, but, after all that had happened, I didn't mind it so much.

"I don't regret it, Grimmjow. By the way, I'm not saying we can't be friends."

"Yeah, I'm not up for that right now."

He passed a hand through his hair, and looked back at the people walking about, as if he wanted to leave quickly. He stared back at my face but not for too long.

"Anyway, I have to go. Those guys won't come after you anymore, so." Grimmjow turned, and disappeared between the students that were rushing to their respective classes. I sighed, and then felt my cell phone vibrating in my pocket. When I took it out, I saw it was my best friend, and immediately answered.

"Hey, I have to talk to you. It's urgent."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Tell me, how _on Earth_ is a love confession urgent?"

I managed a small smile as Ichida mockingly scolded me. We were outside in the school grounds, somewhere near the baseball fields, where beautiful flora was all that surrounded us. It was a beautiful place that many people frequented, since it was relaxing and it had a few rustic-looking benches. Anyone could truly enjoy the view out here.

"Ishida, I'm not joking. It was awful."

"You see, many female and male students would disagree with you on that. I mean, getting confessed by a badass-muscular-huge-dick-supposedly-straight-hot guy? Boy, you must be out of your mind."

I stared unbelievingly at my best friend.

"Okay, you are _clearly_ not taking this seriously. And, since when you don't hate Grimmjow?"

"Darling, that was before you told me such grand and juicy gossip."

I scoffed, and shook my head disapprovingly.

"You're not getting any of this. He hated me, everybody knew that. Why would he suddenly change his mind? One day, he's like '_I live to make Kurosaki's life a living hell'_, and then the next, he's like _'I can't take my mind off you'_. There is certainly something strange going on."

"Maybe when he got a taste of that plump ass of yours, he decided he didn't want any other mortal wrinkly ass, like mine."

Ishida started laughing so much, a tear escaped his eye and he wiped it off. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he continued contaminating the air with his high pitched laughter. As it got even more exaggerated, he bent over and started gasping for air. I stared across annoyingly at the baseball court with a hand supporting my chin and covering my mouth. The students practicing in the field had heard Ishida making so much noise, and were all looking at us. Some were shaking their heads disapprovingly, others were smiling at us. My eyes met a beautiful pair of bright green eyes, and my heart gave a leap. I straightened up unconsciously, and looked at the boy that was staring back at me.

He had a baseball uniform, with the cap and all. I could see black hair beneath the hat, and his body was spectacularly lean. When I saw his handsome face, he was smirking at me, which caused an immediate blush in my face. Suddenly, Ishida had calmed down and placed a hand in my arm to straightened himself. Our eyes broke contact for a moment, but when I looked again, he winked at me and continued on his way. His friends had called out his name: _Miura Rarako._

Miura Rarako.

Such a strange name for a beautiful and perfect guy… Oh, I could feel my eyes glittering from warmth and love. I felt like I was floating above the clouds with a white toga and no underwear. I felt free.

But, of course, Ishida had to bring me back down to Earth since he was being such a pain in the ass lately. He frowned suspiciously when he saw my blushing face.

"What's with you? You got hard by something?"

"If you hadn't been making fun of me, you would have noticed the spark."

"What spark? What are you talking about?"

"I'm not telling, since you're not taking me seriously. See you around!"

Now, it was my turn to mock him. I skipped and hummed a song as I made my way inside the school, leaving a very confused Ishida behind.

* * *

><p>That afternoon when the bell rang, I was pumped full of energy. Sure, many students cheered after a hard day of school came to an end, but, personally, I just felt excited. Grimmjow's confession had been pushed to the deepest side of the brain, replaced by the image of those beautiful green eyes. Never in my life, had I felt such attraction as the one with Rarako. Yes, I'd felt many physical attractions before, but it was different this time. It was love, it had to be.<p>

People walked toward the school's main gates. It had been a splendid day, full of surprises and sparks… an unusual day for me, to say the least. When I stepped outside, my smile faltered as I saw light blue hair in the distance. He was talking to one of his friends, but when he looked up and saw me, he quickly parted ways with his friend and walked away. I felt guilty, although I didn't really know what to make of it. Simply put, what Grimmjow wanted from me, I wasn't particularly sure I could give it to him. That was it: everything related to Gimmjow brought uncertainty to me. I could never read the guy, to see if he was joking or not, and it only caused that I doubted his intentions.

I sighed. In that moment, I felt a hand grasping my shoulder gently, and I turned. Kuchiki Rukia, one of my oldest friends was standing next to me.

"Hey, Ichigo. I wanted to ask how you were doing. Everything's fine?"

"Yeah, I guess. The bruises don't hurt anymore."

I chuckled halfheartedly, and Rukia noticed.

"What's really going on with you? I hardly ever see you anymore, but I can sense something's been bothering you."

"Ah, it's a pretty boring situation, so don't worry about me."

I excused myself, told her I'd keep in touch with her, and continued my way. The streets were becoming deserted of students, but I was too busy contemplating the vegetation and the setting sun. The sky was a canvas of reds and yellows, and it was a breathtaking scene. I wasn't even aware I'd stopped walking until a voice behind me startled me.

"It sure is beautiful, isn't it?"

And I died.

That comforting deep voice belonged to none other than my sweet green-eyed guy, Miura Rarako. He was glancing amusedly at me, and I couldn't help but blush. He grinned wider at my reaction, and held out his hand.

"Miura Rarako. But you can just call me Rarako. Of course, that means I'll have to call you by your first name too. Ichigo."

I took his hand and blushed even more. He was even more amazing from up close. His black hair was kind of spiked but curly at the same time. His eyes were green with specks of gold and silver, which made my legs wobbly if I stare too much at them. I felt like a boiling tomato. To his eyes, I must be just that: a blushing airhead high school boy.

"I'm guessing you like me, huh?"

He laughed teasingly, and I tried to glare at him but to no avail. He was just too charming. His smile was a bit cocky but, above all, warm.

"Whoa, don't look at me like that. It's okay, I like you too… Especially that carrot top of yours."

He laughed as I hit him on the shoulder. Then, he stroked my cheek with his thumb and gave me a heartwarming smile. I literally stopped breathing as his beautiful eyes studied me.

"And I love your freckles."

I chuckled slightly, but moved away from his seeking thumb, embarrassed.

"My house is that way. My sisters are probably waiting for me, so…"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Um, are you free Saturday night?"

My mind was doing flips in that moment. He was asking me out, right? I had to get my act together; no more school boy blushing, and no more stuttering. I was never like this, so why now? Well, except the fact that a gorgeous guy was teasing me and now asking me out? Of course it was nothing to be flushed about. I stopped walking, and looked directly at him. He was staring down at his shoes, but his cheeks were a light pink shade. It was my turn to tease.

"I'm guessing you like me, huh?"

His head practically snapped from embarrassment, and I laughed at that. He joined in, and then took my wrist. He was waiting for an answer. My eyes fixed in his larger hand gently holding my wrist.

"I have a few things to do, but I think I can accommodate you somewhere."

"Great! How about I pick you up at seven?"

"Sure! Give me your number, and I'll text you the address."

We exchanged phones and saved each other's contacts. The whole time we were there silently, he was smiling. I guess this wasn't one sided, after all. This, of course, brought a giant grin to my face. He noticed, and laughed.

"Let's try not to grin too much until Saturday, or else our faces will break. I know _I'm_ happy that I got the courage to talk to you."

"Agreed. So, you've seen me before?"

"Yeah, and I've tried countless times to get your idiot head to look at me. Wasn't easy, but it finally happened."

"I really am an idiot. How could I not notice such a—"

I realized a little too late what I was about to say, but stopped anyway. Rarako's eyes were glinting contently, and I could tell he was enjoying himself.

"Such a hot guy… That _is_ what you were trying to say, right?"

"Um, sure, whatever feels right to you."

We both laughed. The sky was darkening, but I didn't care. I liked the guy so much, that everything else seemed unimportant. We stared at each other silently.

"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow at school… if you want. Maybe we can have a chat before Saturday, or we could have lunch, or…"

He was talking fast, which I found cute, so I rolled my eyes, and kissed his cheek to silence him. His green eyes rested on my face, waiting yet again for my answer.

"I'd like that. Maybe you can even meet my best friend. I'm sure he will love you."

"Everybody loves me, so…"

I hit him playfully on his stomach and laughed.

"Whatever, Mr. Ego. Ne, see you later."

With final smiles, and the occasional looking back, we parted ways. I went toward a small neighborhood to the right, and Rarako continued to the train station. I wonder how far he lived.

So, tomorrow would be an interesting day, I was sure. Ishida would be happy for me, maybe even too excited. He was my best friend, and he always knew what was best for me. But, above all, the day after tomorrow would be my big date with Rarako. I was doing some weird small jumps as I headed home to my dad and my two twin sisters.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I stood awkwardly as Rarako stood with his hand stretched out towards Ishida. My best friend was wearing a scowl and looking between me and Rarako. Rarako pleaded to me with his eyes to say something but I didn't know what to do. Certainly, I wasn't expecting Ishida to react so cold and unpleasant to the situation. I was about to say something when my friend interrupted me.

"When were you planning on telling me? I didn't even know there was something going on. Yesterday…"

"Yesterday, I tried telling you—"

I was interrupted again.

"You _met_ him yesterday. I've never seen him in my life, and now you're telling me you're dating him?"

People were starting to stare and I narrowed my eyes at my best friend.

"Ishida, that has happened before _so_ many times with you. Why are you being such an ass now?"

"That was different. I… Well, I—"

He was finally running out of things to say. I calmed down myself and pleaded to him with my eyes.

"Why can't you be happy for me? Just give me and him a chance. I've always supported you on your relationships, even the disastrous ones."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. He stared at me and I gave him a pouty face.

"Fine! It won't be easy to convince me but give it a shot."

I smiled and we started taking out our lunches. We had agreed that we'd meet in a small park located right in front of the school, so we were sitting on grass. It was a common place for students to come and hang out during lunch break because it was spacious enough to sit anywhere, relax, and not be bothered by others.

The hour was productive, I must say. At first, Ishida was not speaking that much and he wore a disapproving scowl but, as the hour went on, Rarako was able to loosen him up with his charming personality. He made jokes and Ishida even chuckled once. It was going pretty good.

Once, Rarako and I got excited talking about a TV series and when I looked at Ishida, he was texting with a smile on his face. I smiled at the picture, wondering who he was talking to. So, Rarako and I continued talking to ourselves and slowly got more comfortable with each other. Rarako made a joke and threw his arms around my shoulders as we laughed, but then he only slid his hand towards mine and placed it on top. It brought a small blush to my face and he smiled. He took my chin and made me look at him. He leaned forward and I did too, slowly. When our lips were about to touch, a deep angry voice made us stare up at the figure.

"What the fuck's going on here?!"

Grimmjow was standing, glaring murderously at Rarako. Ishida was gaping in shock, and I didn't know how to react. Behind Grimmjow, Nnoitra was standing grinning apologetically with his hand behind his head. He was about to say something, but was interrupted.

"Yesterday you weren't ready for this shit, and now I find you kissing an asshole I've never seen in my entire fuckin' life?! Was he your fuck buddy for the night too? Were you thinking about this guy when I fucked you?"

He was talking nonsense and I had enough of it. I stood up and glared at the blue-haired idiot.

"I said I wasn't ready about you, you fuckin' asshole! I can do whatever the fuck I want with my life. I don't see why you're interested all of a sudden."

Rarako was on my right, staring wide-eyed between me and Grimmjow. He was speechless, and I couldn't blame him. Grimmjow clenched his jaw, narrowed his eyes at me, but cooled down. He was annoyed.

"Who the fuck's he anyway?," he turned his glare at Rarako, "I said, who the fuck are you? Speak up, brat."

Rarako unfroze and was about to introduce himself, when I moved in front of him and Grimmjow's bored stare turned to me.

"He's my boyfriend, got that? So, why don't you tu—"

Grimmjow laughed mockingly.

"Kurosaki, let the boy speak for himself. I promise I won't scare him."

I felt a hand on my shoulder gently pushing me to the side. For the first time, I saw Rarako being that serious as he stepped up to Grimmjow. It was scary. Even if there was a seven inch difference between them.

"My name's Rarako. I'm captain of the baseball team and…" he took my hand and intertwined our fingers together, "Ichigo's boyfriend. So, give up on him."

Grimmjow was looking down at our hands and slowly loomed over Rarako. He stared him square in the eyes, and let out a bored sigh.

"I've taken down toughest guys than you. Since I was a boy, I always had a knack to detect assholes who like playing around. I've stopped a few from hurting my friends, and it wasn't pretty for them. Thinking they could take advantage of anyone and use them as they pleased. So," Grimmjow's face was now centimeters from his face, "if you hurt him, I'm taking you down."

They stared at each other while I gaped in shock. I didn't exactly appreciate Grimmjow's statement but somehow it made me feel safe, even though I knew for sure Rarako would never hurt me. It still angered me though because he was acting like a dad or a big brother.

"Grimmjow, you are in no position to say something like that. Stop messing around."

I pulled Rarako by the hand, and walked over to Ishida that was gently whispering to Nnoitra. They both had the same expression on their faces but I didn't identify it at the moment. Was it concern?

I motioned Ishida to follow us and he did without saying anything. I didn't glance back but I felt him staring at me. He was no longer annoyed nor mad. It felt like he was hurting.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

(Ishida's POV)

That afternoon after Ichigo introduced me to Rarako, I received a call that I was somehow expecting. I didn't have his number but apparently he'd gotten it from someone. When my cellphone rang, a deep voice greeted me from the other side of the line.

"Hey, pansy. Grimmjow, here."

I scoffed, annoyed.

"Huh. Whatever do you want, asshole?"

"Why would you think I want something? Maybe I'm interested in getting to know you better. We never talk in school."

"Yeah, right. Spill. Why are you calling?"

I heard a low chuckle but then he went silent. I felt him getting serious, and truthfully I didn't know how to handle it.

"Nnoitra told me you also had that knack for the Rarako boy. Is it true?"

I didn't say anything but we both knew the silence meant that it was.

"I know that everyone thinks I said it out of jealousy but it wasn't all about that. I can't put my finger on it but there's something that doesn't sit well about him. It's like… like…"

"Like he's a fake."

I finished what he was trying to say, to which he agreed. Then I continued on.

"Trust me, I got that feeling myself, but I don't think we can do anything right now. Ichigo's really falling for the guy and I _know_ that even I, his best friend, can't convince him of giving up. He'll get mad and pull away from me, and then I would be farther away if he ever needs my help."

"So, what? You're going to let him being led away until that guy decides to throw him away like he's nothing? We need to do something right now, before it's too late."

"Grimmjow, I can't risk our friendship! If he—"

"Fuck that! It is about the Berry we're talking about here. I can't stand seeing him with another guy but I absolutely _cannot_ see him getting hurt. Boy, trust me when I say that I'll lose it."

My eyes widen in shock. Grimmjow always preferred settling everything with violence and it would cost him a great deal.

"_'__You'll lose it_' and Ichigo will stop talking to you for sure. He's always being uncertain about you because you've never taken anything seriously enough to solve it without violence. Grimmjow, if you want him to really see you, you need to be there for him if anything ever happens. The people that love him can interfere so far, but if he thinks he's made the right choice, we can't do anything but support him."

I heard him sigh exasperatedly.

"I really, _really_ hope you're right, but if the boy goes too far, I'm really settling this."

"Whatever, it's not like I want to see you with Ichi either. What makes you think you're good enough for Ichigo?"

"Boy, I know I'm not perfect, but I would stop at nothing to protect what's important to me. That night I spent with Ichigo made me realize how much I want him. I want to spoil him so much to the point that he never stops smiling. Anyway, thanks for hearing me out, and if Ichigo ever tells you something we should worry about, you come to me. Grimmjow out."

And the line went dead.

"Why do I get the feeling he's going to mess up?"

I sighed, but put the phone away.

I picked up my Chemistry book and started reading the assigned chapters. At that moment, I was alone at home because my dad always worked until late in the night and Chad was practicing down at the dojo house. I was always the one that looked after everything in the house and the one in charge of preparing the food for when they came home. I didn't mind at all because it helped me clear my mind.

My phone vibrated once, notifying that I'd received a text. I opened it quickly and smiled at the message.

'_Miss you, babe. –R._'

I replied back, telling him I missed him more. Suddenly, I got a crazy idea that made me laugh. Since I had opened the book just to kill time (exams were probably weeks away), I decided to pay my lover a surprise visit. I laughed as I picked up a couple of things, shoved them in my messenger bag, and walked out to my car.

It was a fifteen minute drive to his apartment. When I arrived, I saw his car in the building's parking lot and I smirked. I skipped the steps to the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor. The apartments were pretty big, so there were only two in each floor. The elevator creaked when it reached its' destination and the doors opened up to me. I practically tip-toed to his door and knocked softly. I had to knock a few times before the door was thrown open and an irritated red head glared at me.

At first, I thought he hadn't registered that it was me but as the seconds went by, the scowl didn't leave his face.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought you said you missed me. I came down to visit you in case you were lonely…"

I smiled seductively at him as I made to walk inside his apartment. He blocked my way with his strong arm, to which I tensed.

"I told you to always call me before coming over."

"But it was just…"

"I don't care. I don't like it."

"Fine, jeez. I can just go, if you want."

He sighed annoyed but grabbed my chin a little bit too roughly.

"Don't talk back to me. Might as well fuck you, now that you're here."

I flinched slightly and tried prying myself away from his seeking hands. I tried pushing him away but I was already shoved inside and handled roughly.

"Renji, stop. Wait. I'm not—"

"You're not _what_? You were the one who came here. You want this, babe."

He was kissing me sloppily down my neck and pulling me toward him by the ass. I slightly tried pushing him away but he came on more forceful. I sighed and gave up resisting, thinking it was the lust acting. I started kissing him back, and he led me to the bedroom. His bed wasn't made but he pushed me to it, and shoved me playfully down. His bigger frame loomed over me as he continued kissing and biting my neck, meanwhile I pulled the zipper of his jeans down. He gave me a big, deep kiss that made me moan, and then he pulled back with a chuckle to retrieve the lube back in a drawer. As I contemplated his naked back, I moved up in the bed to accommodate better and my left hand touched something soft. My fingers wrapped around it and pulled out a lacy thong. My smile died and when I looked up, Renji was staring at me.

"This is a woman's."

I stated, and, after a while, Renji sighed.

"Yes."

"You told me you were gay. You told me you were dating _me_."

"Look, babe, the stuff's out. I'm not going to lie to you."

"Oh, really? _Now_, you're being honest? _Now_, that I know what a fucking cheater you are!"

Renji shook his head, annoyed.

"I clearly told you to call me before coming over. You brought this on yourself."

I scoffed and laughed angrily.

"So, it was all for you to do this behind my back?"

"It's no big news. There's always a little something going on over the side. A guy has needs."

I was furiously mad.

"I'm a guy! I have needs! And I don't go out fucking everyone who crosses my path, because I thought we were serious!"

"Babe, this doesn't have to change anything. You just have to pretend this didn't happen, and you can have the fantasy you always wanted."

"Don't make me laugh, Renji. Like you'll suddenly stop doing whatever the hell you were doing behind my back all this time."

He chuckled darkly.

"Oh, no. Don't misunderstand, love. I will continue to do whatever the hell I please."

"And what makes you think I'm sticking around an asshole like you? I think this today just settled everything, don't you think?"

He laughed, walked over to me, and roughly pinned my arms above my head.

"Babe, I don't _want_ this to end. I like playing with you, and I absolutely love having a wifey at home pretending to think I'm off to work when clearly I'm fucking the brains out of a slut with big tits. And you're off crying somewhere—because you _know_—but when I come home, I fuck the living shit out of you and you pretend nothing's wrong. You don't try changing me because you're mine—I own you—and you submit to me. I do whatever the fuck I please, I fuck whoever I please, and you don't ever lift a finger. Learn your place, because this is our story from now on. No more secrets, no more hiding."

I winced a little when his hold got tighter and tighter. He may overpower me physically but I was strong of mind. I laughed.

"You must be out of your mind if you think I'm sticking around with you, you sicko. Do you think I'm stupid enough to put up with you?"

His hold tightened, and his pupils were dilated. I flinched when his breath tickled my ear. His voice came out dark and threatening.

"You're not stupid, but you'll eventually give in. A few beatings will put you in your place."

My eyes widened as he pulled out his thick belt. An inaudible gasp left my lips. Then, he chuckled again.

"You will regret the day you came without ever telling me, _babe_."

The sounds of whips and slaps filled the otherwise silent apartment. The shock had paralyzed me. My tears blurred everything and my pleadings dissolved in the air, as his arm came down more times than I could count.


End file.
